


April Come She Will

by ThatOCLady



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: AU, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humour, King Liam, Liam x MC - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Other, Romance, TRR, liam x oc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-07-15 03:54:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16055036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOCLady/pseuds/ThatOCLady
Summary: What if Liam was a commoner, unburdened with propriety and a horde of duties towards an entire country? What if he was born with the freedom he so longed for, and could go for the woman he wanted without a care in the world? If he was free to pursue his passions and desires, what kind of a lover and man he would be?An Alternate Universe fic set in the USA, where Liam, a commoner, meets and falls for a writer, April.





	1. Belle of the Boulevard

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to explore the pipe dream of Liam’s where he can be the kind of man he wants to be without anything holding him back. I wanted him to have everything in this story that he couldn’t have in TRR. And I KNOW FOR A FACT that he is much more playful and kinky than his princely upbringing in TRR ever permitted him to be, so he’s pretty flirty in this fic, be warned. His romantic interest in this fic is not like the MC from TRR. She’s an OC, and I really wanted to write about a plus sized female lead of colour. Since this is an AU fic, TRR isn’t canon in it. If any of the changes are confusing, please let me know. Thanks!

There were so many better ways he could have come up with for spending his Sunday evening. But there he was - stuck in Drake’s bar. “Whiskey Duck”, it was called. Some sexual malfunction innuendo Liam hadn’t understood the first time he had read that name.   
The kitchen plus backroom in Drake’s bar smelled like batter-oil and alcohol. And it wasn’t a particularly good smell. But Liam didn’t complain. He was always eager to lend a helping hand. Especially on such a busy night when two of Drake’s regular staff had taken a sick day.   
“Liam? We need more beer. Can you get that keg from over there?”   
“Sure”   
Drake only had a moment to say “Thanks” before his head disappeared from the doorframe, and he got back to tending the bar. Liam lifted the heavy keg onto his shoulder and made for the door.   
The door was so small and narrow, his elbow scraped against the doorframe. He mumbled no oaths and carried the keg towards the tap behind the bar. Drake took over from there. Liam used the moment to make sure their buddy Maxwell was not messing around.   
“Coming right up!”   
He heard Maxwell’s voice chirp that to a customer at one of the tables. Maxwell came to them then, smiling at Drake.   
“Barkeep! One Peachy Delight and your finest malt for table number 3!”, he said.   
Liam occupied himself with wiping a glass, lest Drake caught him grinning at the exchange that was most likely about to ensue.   
“Maxwell, you’re not a server, I told you that. They have to place their drink order  _here_  and then we call. And what the hell is a Peachy Delight?”   
“I don’t know. It sounds tasty though. Why don’t you whip it up and I’ll let them know when it’s done?”   
Drake frowned,   
“We don’t serve ridiculous fruity cocktails here! That’s not on the menu. I’m not making that”   
Maxwell seemed disappointed,   
“But the girl asked for it so nicely. She bowed her head at me”   
He whispered to Liam,   
“I think she’s royalty”   
Drake said,   
“There’s no royalty in New York. You go over and tell that girl right now that we don’t serve that shit in here”   
“But Drake…”   
Just then, Drake was called away to the other end of the bar by a customer. Liam tried to cheer up Maxwell.   
“You want me to tell her?”   
Maxwell exclaimed, looking quite relieved,   
“Yes, please! That girl seems so sweet. I don’t want to be the one to deny her a Peachy Delight”   
Liam walked over to him, smiling,   
“I got your back”   
He gave Maxwell a pat on the shoulder before approaching the table he had been pointed to. There was a lovely looking girl there in a pink dress with a sullen companion.   
“Hi”, Liam said to them, sounding apologetic and polite, “I regret to tell you that we actually don’t serve cocktails like Peachy Delight here. If there’s something else on the menu that you would like, you can place an order at the bar. Sorry for the inconvenience”   
The man gave such a grunt of disgust, it appalled Liam.   
“Self service? Hmph”   
The girl looked embarrassed enough for the both of them. She said to Liam,   
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Thanks for telling us”   
Liam gave her a nod and walked back to behind the bar. He saw Drake snatching a set of pliers and an expensive bottle of cabernet out of Maxwell’s hands. As much as he loved those two lugs, he really wished he was spending that evening in a different manner.   
  
The evening drew on. Liam was checking messages on his phone, when -   
“How can you not have curly fries?!”   
Maxwell asked Drake that question with an indignant gasp. The two started bickering again. Their friend sighed and put a hand to the side of head. He pulled his gaze away from them towards the girl in the pink dress. She looked even more embarrassed than before. The guy she had come in with was standing up, looking down at her as he spoke. Liam couldn’t hear much but it didn’t look like a pleasant conversation. He stepped out from behind the bar, mainly because the poor girl looked ready to burst in tears. Her date was talking loud enough now for the whole bar to hear them.   
“… your parents who threw you at me and now  _you_  are brushing  _me_ off?!”   
The girl tried, in a meek voice,   
“Neville, please…”   
“I was doing you a favour. I don’t even bother to take girls like you to dinner. You…”   
Before Liam could approach the table and give the scoundrel a piece of his mind, someone else piped up.   
“Hey”, she said, “You mind keeping your voice down? Some of us are trying to read here”   
Because the rude man was standing in the way, Liam couldn’t see the patron who was asking for quiet. The man took it as a great insult and grabbed his companion’s arm.   
“Come on. Let’s get out of this dump”, he said.   
She winced but removed her arm from his hold, saying,   
“You should go ahead, Neville. I’ll find my way home”   
Neville didn’t seem to like that either. He glowered like a bull and practically yanked the girl out of her seat.   
“We’re leaving”   
Before Liam could react, the feminine voice from earlier said,   
“Leave her the fuck alone. With that mouth and skunkass perfume you got on, no girl would want to go home with you, okay?”   
Neville turned to the source of that voice, his back to Liam now. He practically raged, bellowing,   
“Stay out of this, you c*nt!”   
His temper flaring, Liam rushed towards the scene and he could hear two pairs of footsteps right behind him. But before either of them could reach Neville, he was punched smack in the face, and as a result of the astounding blow, he was thrown at his date’s feet.   
“Oooh!”, someone hollered.   
“Ouch”   
Others whistled. As Neville lay on the floor, cupping his face with both hands, Liam saw the girl who had punched him. And he saw and he saw.   
Standing tall and proud, her eyebrows drawn in the cutest frown he had seen on an adult woman, the girl couldn’t have seemed more attractive to him in that moment. She flipped a mop of brown hair over one shoulder, the action almost appearing to him in slow motion. She mouthed “Shit”, and shook her right hand like it stung. Liam watched her empty the glass of clear liquid that had been on her table, her head thrown back and her throat exposed. She wiped her lips with the other hand, setting the glass down. She mouthed “Oh shit” again and checked on her book that was on the table too. He was impressed by the manner in which she cradled the book in her arm, like one would do to a child who had just been hurt.   
Drake yelled right by his ear,   
“Not again, April!”   
Liam recoiled, jerked out of his ogling. The girl exclaimed,   
“He was hurting her!”   
_‘April’_ , Liam memorised the name. 

Amidst all the cheering and hooting, Liam forced himself to act. He instructed Drake,  
“You take care of the ladies, I’ll take him outside”   
“No, you get the girls. I’ll handle him”   
“You sure?”   
“Yeah”, Drake helped Neville up, “Come on, man”   
They walked out of the bar.   
Maxwell said aloud,   
“That was  **awesome!** ”   
Liam turned to him,   
“Maxwell, could you please tend the bar for a while?”   
He turned to the girls, wanting to minimise the scene.   
“If both of you could follow me, please”, he said.   
They did.   
  
In the bar’s tiny kitchen, April, Liam and the girl crowded themselves.   
“I’m so sorry. This is all my fault”, the girl kept saying.   
“Nah”, April told her, “Just don’t pick a jerk next time to go out with?”   
“I know. He was just… it’s a long story”, the girl sighed, “Anyway, are you okay?”   
“I’m fine. Haven’t hit somebody in a while but it’s good to know I still got the magic touch”   
Liam glanced at her swollen knuckles and said,   
“That does not look fine”   
The girl in the pink dress gasped on seeing April’s injury.   
“Oh my god. That looks bad”   
“Is fine”   
April was obviously reveling in the attention she was being given, one usually reserved for a wrestler after her Olympic finals. Liam couldn’t help but be amused by it. However, the angry-red knuckles were staring him in the face.   
“Let me get some ice on that”   
So saying, he scooched past the girl and walked into the bar. He collected some ice from the dispenser in his handkerchief, looking around to see that Maxwell was handling his task well.   
“Here”, Liam stepped past the girl again, “Show me your hands”   
“I’m telling you, I’m fine”, April said.   
In that cramped up kitchen, he tried to find a suitable enough space from where he could stand and administer to April’s injury.   
“Uh…”, he moved around, trying to get past the liqueur bottles on the counter to reach her hand.   
“Wait”   
The girl moved away from the counter opposite to the one April was leaning against. Liam took her place before the ice could melt any further.   
“Thanks…?”   
“Hana”, she supplied her name.   
“Thanks, Hana”, he said.   
She said,   
“I’ll get some more ice. Just a second”   
Hana went back to the bar. Now Liam found himself less than a foot away from April. If she hadn’t just pulled back her feet, their shoes would have touched. When he looked back up again, he was staring into her face that was so close to his own. There was no harshness anymore on it. A gentle curiosity conveyed itself through her dark eyes. Felt like you could just float away if you kept looking at them.   
Liam cleared his throat to will himself back to earth.   
“Your hand, please”   
April held out her right hand. Liam gingerly placed his kerchief cum icepack on her knuckles. The hand trembled once but stayed afloat. When he looked at her face again, she seemed to be clenching her teeth behind a mouth shut tight.   
“It’s okay if you want to… make a sound”   
April mumbled,   
“I’m good”   
It was painful in itself to watch her keep a stoic face through the ordeal. Liam tried to divert her attention.   
“So… what do you do?”   
“Huh?”, she looked at him.   
“Your job, your hobbies. What do you do?”   
Her hand began to sink to escape the healing pain of ice. Liam reached his own hand from below to hold hers steady. He was smiling, her skin was super smooth.   
“I’m a small time writer”, April told him.   
“That’s interesting. Anything I might have read?”   
“That depends. Do you read romance erotica?”   
He grinned, still looking at her hand in his.   
“I’m afraid I don’t”   
“You have such welcoming eyes”   
_'Oh wow’_    
Liam chuckled at that sudden remark. April quickly bit her tongue.   
“Thanks. You have lovely eyes too”, he tried to seem nonchalant, “I couldn’t help but notice”   
“Thank you”   
The pause lasted only a second. He felt himself too desperate to keep the conversation going.   
“So, are we talking paperback books?”   
April gave a shrug,   
“Paperback, ebooks. I prefer the ebooks. Part of being a writer with a conscience is feeling guilty for all the trees they use to make your books”   
“I get that. It’s why I prefer my Kindle. But nothing beats the smell of new books”, Liam said.   
They shared a smile. April said,   
“I like to smell the old ones”   
“Yeah?”   
“Yeah. It’s like they have been sweetened by the smiles of their readers”   
“That’s a beautiful way of putting it”   
Liam shifted the ice. April asked him,   
“What do you do for a living?”   
“I work at a school”   
“Really?”   
“Yeah”, he smiled at her again, “Not here though. I am on vacation here”   
_“Liam?”_    
“In New York or in the US?”   
_“Earth to Liam?”_    
“In New York. I am from…”   
_**“Liam!”**_    
The sound of Drake’s voice made them both spring apart from each other. Hana was standing behind Drake, holding a glass full of ice cubes. Liam glanced at April once before saying,   
“I was just icing her knuckles”   
“With  _melted ice?”_    
They all looked at the water trickling down April’s hand and its fingers. Liam tried to dab it with his kerchief, apologising,   
“I’m so sorry. I… I didn’t even realise”   
April’s voice was lilting,   
“Neither did I”   
Eyes met eyes again.   
There was definitely something going on here, Liam thought. Something with the potential to be amazing, if explored. He couldn’t look away until he heard Drake mutter under his breath,   
“Great”   
April moved past Liam. She was standing between him and Drake.   
“Thanks for everything, guys. I should be heading out now. Drake, how much do I owe you?”   
“$42”   
April grumbled but opened her purse anyway,   
“I only had one drink”   
Drake said,   
“Yeah. The most expensive Polish vodka I have”   
He took the money and asked her,   
“You’re not driving that bicycle from hell in your condition, are you?”   
“It’s called a scooter, Grandpa. And I’m fine. I have to get going now. Move”   
“Let Liam drive you”   
Liam felt like he could have kissed Drake right then. The way April looked at him, trying to seem cool when her excitement clearly showed, he would have ridden a tricycle at that moment if she needed him to.   
“You sure?”, she asked him.   
Hana suggested,   
“Or we could share an uber. I can call…”   
Drake discreetly shook his head at Hana. Only it wasn’t so discreet.   
“So…”, April began.   
“I’ll drive you”, Liam stepped up.   
“Good”, she said, “Thanks”   
Before they could indulge in another stare session, Drake announced,   
“Okay, people. Form a line. You may have noticed, only one can pass through this door at a time. After you, Hana”   
Liam was the last in line right behind April. He inhaled as they walked. She smelled warm and comforting, like coffee beans and sunflowers.   
“You sure you can drive a scooter?”, she smiled at him from over her shoulder.   
Liam returned that smile, gazing at her lips, feeling more confident with her attention.   
“Let’s just say I can surprise you”   
  
Hana’s horrendous date was nowhere in sight when they stepped out. April was reminding herself to 'Be cool, be cool’. But her sisterhood spirit was high too.   
“Can you do me a favour, Hana?”   
“Of course”   
April whipped out her phone.   
“Give me your number. I’ll give you a ring. You can text me when you get home safe”   
“That is so sweet of you”, Hana smiled, “But it’s okay. I’ll get home just fine. Nadeem has driven me home many times before. He’s practically a friend”   
April looked at the uber driver blasting Bollywood music on his car stereo. She said to Hana,   
“Okay then. It was nice meeting you. And I’m sorry if I ruined your date. I mean, that guy was no Prince Charming but I still feel bad about it”   
“No, no. Please don’t. You did me a favour”, Hana smiled again, “Do you think… we could hang out sometime? I don’t have many girlfriends here. Friends who are girls! Or friends”   
“Sure. Here’s my number”   
They exchanged digits. Hana was beaming with joy. She shook hands with the three, thanking each one of them individually.   
“You take care”, Drake said.   
“I will. Bye, everyone”   
Hana was still smiling and waving when she got into the cab. April stood on the curb until the car was out of sight.   
Now it was her turn to shine.   
“See you around, April”, Drake said, “Liam, hit the brakes hard”   
“I heard that”, she turned to them.   
Drake clapped his friend on the back,   
“Don’t worry, April. Liam’s a gentleman. He won’t make a move without your permission even if his life depended on it. Or yours”   
Liam shrugged him off,   
“I’ll take it from here, Drake. Thanks for nothing. You can go back inside now”   
Was he really not going to make a move? April had hoped he kind of would. She would have to reject him, of course, since her five-year plan didn’t have room for a boyfriend.   
But for crying out loud, he was so handsome! And sweet.   
“May I have your keys?”   
There. You see? Perfect grammar. And that sexy accent.   
_'I get turned on with every word he speaks’_    
“Here you go”, April handed him her keys, “There’s two helmets under the seat. The pink one’s my roommate’s”   
Liam fetched them both and held one on each side of his head.   
“Which suits me better? It’s the pink one, isn’t it?”   
She tried not to giggle,   
“Pink is so your colour. You’re going to break hearts with pink”   
“Then it’s decided. You get the yellow one”   
“Thank you”, she grinned and put it on.   
A man who was secure enough in his masculinity to not be intimidated by pink - was Liam even real?   
“Nice pick up for an electric”, he commented on starting the scooter.   
April put a hand on his shoulder and straddled the seat,   
“You know scooters”   
“I know electric engines. Ready?”   
“Yep”   
She could hear the hint of a smile in his voice,   
“Hold on tight then”   
  
They weaved through traffic seamlessly. It was one of the perks of being on two wheels. April was holding on to the back of her scooter with one hand and spraying a minty freshener into her mouth with the other.   
Liam had to speak loudly to be heard over the wind. He asked,   
“Left or right?”   
“Right!”, so did she.   
They turned smoothly towards their desired path. April was still debating holding onto Liam.   
_'Come on, girl. When are you going to get a chance to hold onto a sexy stranger like this? And it’s just flirting. You’re not leading him on’_  
“Speed bumps ahead. You might want to hold on”, Liam suggested.   
_'Now or never’_    
Her heart racing wildly, April put her arms around Liam’s torso. Her skin tingled on coming in contact with the firm, hard surface of his body. He smelled nice too. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her fingers lay content against the soft fabric of Liam’s shirt. His body was so different than the ones she usually hugged - Jenna, her parents, her little cousins, her sister.   
_'Do all dudes feel like this?’_    
As they drove nearer to her place, April instructing Liam where to turn, she couldn’t stop over-thinking everything.   
_'So maybe I do ask him to come up. And maybe we do hit it off. What do you think is going to happen when he realises you’re a 27-year old virgin, April? Laughter, that’s what’_    
“You okay? You’ve been pretty quiet throughout the ride”, Liam asked.   
“I’m fine”, she answered.   
“People seldom are fine when they say they are”   
_‘Ugh. Thoughtful too. Damn you, sexy thing’_    
“How’s your hand? Better?”, he asked.   
“Yeah”   
Like she had time to worry about her hand when she was hanging onto his back like a koala.   
“Take a left. Now straight. This is it. You can stop now”

The scooter’s engine whirred down as Liam turned the key. April got off the ride first, then him. He unlocked the seat and stashed the tiny helmets in their place. April smiled at him when he gave her back the keys. They were standing in her apartment building’s parking structure and the moon provided terrible lighting. Yet it couldn’t hide the heightened colour of Liam’s cheeks. It looked like the cold night wind had repeatedly kissed his cheeks.   
_'I don’t blame you, wind’_    
The moonbeams seemed to dance off his head, forming a kind of halo.   
“Will you be okay?”   
“…”   
“April?”   
“Yeah”, she recovered, “Yeah. I’ll be fine. Thank you so much. Tell Drake too my thanks. That-that I thanked him too. For… for making you offer. I mean, for suggesting you offer…”   
He nodded,   
“I will”   
“Good. How do you plan to get back to the bar?”   
“I will get a cab from the main street. It’s just a few minutes’ walk from here probably. Right?”   
_'Yeah, and then you disappear out of my life forever’_  
“Or you could call an uber”, she shrugged, “You can wait upstairs until it arrives”   
“Nah. I’ll just hail a taxi”   
“The chances of finding one at this time of the night are pretty slim, trust me. Uber’s the logical choice”   
“Are you sure about letting me wait for it at your place? I don’t want to impose”   
“Oh please. I owe you one”   
“No, you don’t”   
April smiled,   
“Fine. Then just accept my temporary hospitality”   
He smiled too,   
“Very well. I accept”   
“Come on then”   
She walked to the bottom of the stairs. Liam insisted,   
“After you”   
“No way. Start climbing”   
“Why?”, he laughed but did as told.   
“I don’t want you looking at my butt”, she mumbled.   
He turned to look at her over his shoulder,   
“But now you’re looking at my butt”   
“That’s fine 'cause you’ve got a great butt”, she hurriedly explained, “Not that I would know. I’m just making an assumption. I didn’t check you out or anything”   
_'I’m such a liar. I did. I checked you out. I totally checked you out’_  
Liam chuckled.   
“You didn’t?”   
“Nope”   
He gave her a rakish grin,   
“Too bad”   
  
Still blushing, April stopped at the landing on the fourth floor. Through the corners of her eyes, she looked for signs of fatigue or even shortness of breath in Liam. But the man hadn’t sweat a drop.   
_'Oh boy. He probably has super stamina in… don’t think about his stamina in bed!’_  
“Welcome to my humble abode”, she opened the door and let him in.   
Taking off her coat, April let the warmth of her apartment soothe her. She was aware of Liam lingering inside the door, looking around.   
“Have a seat”, she gestured to the couch.   
“Thanks”   
“April?”, a voice called from inside the apartment.   
She turned to Liam,   
“That’s my roommate, Jenna”   
Jenna strode into the drawing room soon, wearing her bathrobe and a face mask. April buckled herself for a shitstorm. Jenna  _did not_  like strangers seeing her without her makeup on.   
“Did you get my text? You better have bought my face cr… oh my god”   
It was difficult to make out from the tight mask, but the tone had been ominous. April saw Liam get off the couch.   
“Jen, this is Liam. He offered to drive me home tonight”   
“Hi”, Liam stepped forward to greet her.   
Jenna stared at Liam, her jaw hanging open.   
“Oh my god”   
April hissed,   
“Jen!”   
Her roommate scanned Liam up and down with her eyes before bursting into a wanton giggle. Jenna gave him her hand,   
“My prayers have been answered. Enchanted to meet you, Liam. Enchanted!”   
“As am I”, he said.   
Jenna gasped and put a hand to her heart,   
“You British?”   
“I was born there, yeah”   
“My, oh my”   
“Jen”, April said again and got between them, “I got you your face cream. It’s in my bag. Why don’t you go  _inside_ and try it on?”   
Jenna easily pushed her aside.   
“Hold on now, Apricot. Let me talk to your man-date here”   
April coloured on seeing Liam grin.   
“He’s not my man-date. He’s a friend of Drake’s”   
“Ah, Drake”, Jenna pretended to swoon, “Tell me - is he still working those abs?”   
Liam seemed to ponder aloud,   
“There’s a load of his sweaty clothes in the laundry everyday, so I’d say yes”   
“You live with him? Lucky you! Hey”, Jenna winked at him, “Wanna trade places? You can have her”   
“Jenna!”   
Liam laughed,   
“You know what? I just might take you up on that”   
Jenna turned to April, her outstretched hand pointing a finger at Liam.   
“He’s a treasure, baby. Don’t you ruin it”   
“He’s not my… ugh”, April rolled her eyes.   
“I don’t mean to interrupt but my cab is here”, Liam announced.   
“Aw. Already?”, Jenna asked.   
“Yeah. Sorry about that”, Liam smiled, “It was really nice meeting you though”   
“Well, you come back around any time, sweetheart. Jenna will cook you a chicken dinner and April will entertain you”   
April mocked her,   
“Ha ha. We’re leaving, Liam. Right now”   
He took it all in good stride,   
“I’ll hold you to that, Jenna. See you around”   
“You do that, cutie. Tell Drake I said hi!”   
“I will. Thanks again. Good night”   
“Nighty night! April, don’t let him go without a good night’s kiss”   
“Oh shut up”   
April fumed to hide her embarrassment and walked down the stairs with an obviously pleased Liam.   
  
Jenna was a delight. Liam could hardly wait to tease Drake about her.   
“Hi. Lyle?”, he asked the cab driver.   
“Yep. Hop in”   
April folded her arms across her chest. She had left her jacket upstairs.   
“Thank you for everything today. Let me pay for the uber at least”, she said.   
“No, thank you. I may not be a hotshot writer, but I can afford an uber”   
She scoffed,   
“Yeah, hotshot writer is right. I’m just rolling naked in money every night”   
He stopped himself from reaching for the cab door. April’s facial expression froze into one of utter shame. Liam grinned,   
“Thank you for that visual”   
“I didn’t… I didn’t mean to… you know what? Just… thank you. For taking care of my hand and driving me”   
He gave her a nod,   
“You’re welcome”   
She was looking at him hopefully. It was a vulnerable look, one that seemed oddly sweet on her.   
“So… good night”, she said.   
Oh. So she wasn’t going to… oh well. Maybe some other time.   
Liam took the hint.   
“Good night”   
He gave her one last smile before turning to the cab. But maybe he should have made a move after all…   
“Wait!”   
_‘Thank God’_    
Liam turned to find April with her mouth hanging open.   
“Uh… um…”   
He adopted the friendliest, most sympathetic expression he could think of.   
“I…”   
She was struggling to get the words out. He wanted to help…   
“I am too opinionated”, she said and exhaled a loud breath, “Not that… it’s a bad thing. It’s not. It’s a sign that you care”   
“I guess so”   
“And I…”, she went on, “I have major trust issues? And I am a workaholic. I have never been in a relationship before. And…”   
Liam witnessed with bated breath her nervous speech. She took some deep breaths.   
“I…”, she sighed, exhausted, “Oh my goodness…”   
“April?”   
She covered her face with both hands. Liam smiled,   
“Are you trying to ask me out?”   
She nodded rapidly. He checked the laughter rising inside him.   
“I would love to go out with you”   
She looked up,   
“You would?”   
“Yeah”   
“Wow”   
“Don’t look so surprised”, he grinned.   
She shrugged,   
“I’m not. I’m just… whatevs. Cool. I’ll get in touch with you”   
“Great. Would you like my number or will you give me yours?”   
“Let’s do both. Unless I… unless one of us chickens out”   
“Okay”   
They exchanged numbers, smiling sheepish smiles. Liam took one long good look at her face but before he could say 'adieu’…   
“That thing that Jenna said…”   
He thought of her inviting him for dinner.   
“Yes?”   
April looked at his face before rising and laying a sweet kiss on his cheek.   
_'Mother of…’_    
It was so good that Liam was transfixed for a second. A simple, sweet gesture… that made him feel so light the wind could have carried him away.   
“That’s for icing my swelling”   
“Is it?”   
She smiled,   
“Yeah”   
“If I had had to give you stitches, would I have gotten a bigger reward?”   
She nodded, matching his wit,   
“Oh much bigger. Like second base. And if you ever performed surgery on me, boy oh boy”   
“I kind of regret not going to medical school now”   
They shared a laugh, and she looked away as he gazed upon her. Lyle decided to ruin the moment by honking.   
“I better get going”, Liam said.   
She took a step back,   
“Yeah. Good night, Liam”   
“Sweet dreams, April”   
He wouldn’t let Lyle drive away until she had safely gone back inside the building. And yet the moment she was out of sight, Liam was filled with a unique blend of disappointment and hope.


	2. Friends

_'You only just met. Stop thinking about him or you won't be able to sleep'_    
April tucked in the sheet beneath her mattress one last time and straightened up. Her bed looked perfect. As if taking on a telepathic cue, Jenna came in and jumped on the bed, ruining April's nightly masterpiece.   
"I hate it when you do that", April said.   
She pulled Jenna's arms back to her sides from her spread-eagle position and shoved her away a little. She climbed into bed and retrieved a book from her night stand. Not looking at her best friend and roommate, April opened the book and flipped it to the page she wanted.   
"Let's have it", she said to Jenna.   
Jenna perked up on hearing that, almost springing up in bed. She lay on her side, perched on her elbow and said,   
"I'll have the deets first"   
April told her friend about wanting to get some much needed vodka, all because her agent Alex had sent her a text about wanting to meet the next morning. She told her about Hana and her asshole date. She told her how she had punched the shithead when he got handsy with Hana. She told him about...   
"Cut to the chase. How did Liam end up driving you home?", Jenna asked.   
"Drake suggested it"   
"Bless him. What I still find hard to believe is that you actually _let_ a guy drive you home. Your phobia about being stalked didn't prevent you this time?"   
April protested,   
"You have met Liam. Does he seem even remotely like a stalker? He looks like he could turn me into a stalker but... you know what I mean"   
Jenna batted her lashes in a flutter, saying,   
"So it was love at first sight?"   
"No!"   
April checked her shrill denial. She looked away from her friend towards the book in her hand.   
"It's just... Liam seemed different. He seems different"   
"How?"   
"For starters, his eyes were on me and not on my chest. You know I hate it when guys think they are paying a fat girl a compliment by staring at her boobs"   
"Hold on one sec. We were going to use the word "plus sized", right?"   
"I told you. We're reclaiming the word fat. Don't you remember I..."   
"Okay, okay. Back to the topic - Liam wasn't interested in your tiddies. What else?"   
"To be honest, he couldn't have really seen them because of my jacket and the scarf..."   
"I'll bet he would like to"   
April grinned,   
"The _point_ is that we hit it off. It was insane. Magnetic attraction. The kind of stuff I write about. We were flirting and bantering and he was so sweet. And he was a perfect gentleman. But he wasn't standoffish. He actually makes it easy to be comfortable around him"   
Jenna asked,   
"Is that why you choked while asking him out?"   
"How did you... what did... I don't know what you’re talking about"   
Jenna gave a light slap to April's arm.   
"Liar. When you guys went down, I quickly ran over to the Bears and we watched you two from the window. You choked"   
"Will you stop calling the Gundersons 'the Bears'? And I didn't choke", April sulked, "I just... couldn't breathe and didn't know what to say"   
"He was so sweet about it. I saw. We all saw the way he looks at you"   
April lifted her book just a bit higher to hide her face. Jenna said,   
"So... when are you going to call him?"   
"Thursday afternoon"   
"That's specific. Where you taking him? KFC?"   
"No", April explained, "I'm giving him more than three days' time to think about me. I can't call him after 6 on Wednesday, because I don't want him to think I remembered him only 'cause I got lonely at night. I can't text him on Thursday in the morning. Then he will know he was the first thing on my mind when I woke up. So Thursday afternoon it has to be. That way, we can make plans for Saturday in advance, without being rushed into anything"   
When Jenna didn't respond, April glanced at her. Jenna's disdainful expression turned into a tremulous sigh. She said,   
"If you were half as good in bed like you are at planning, you wouldn't be single"   
With much effort, April managed not to laugh and began toe-ing Jenna away.   
"If I'm not good in bed, what are you doing in mine?"   
"Ew"   
Jenna rose from the bed with feline grace, arching her back. She threw a particularly affronted look over her shoulder and said to April,   
"The day you finally grow a dick, we'll talk about it"   
April smiled, shaking her head at the book she obviously wasn't reading. Jenna gave a yawn. She announced,   
"I'm off to bed. I have an early shoot tomorrow"   
"Instagram?"   
"Nuh-uh. A real shoot, for a furniture store"   
April gave her a bright smile. She exclaimed,   
"Jen, that's great! Why didn't you tell me before?"   
"You brought something more interesting to our doorstep, so I thought this could wait"   
"I'm really happy for you"   
"Yeah, I know. We'll see how it goes”, Jenna winked at her, “I'll make you a smoothie before leaving tomorrow. Night-night, baby"   
"Good night"   
April turned her gaze away from Jenna's retreating figure back to the book. Her phone buzzed.   
_'Oh my god. Please be him'_    
Her open look of anticipation was replaced by an eye roll. The text was from her sister. Attie was at it again.   
_'Isn't he the hottest?_   '   
April typed a quick response.   
_'Stop texting me shirtless pictures of Chris Winters and go to sleep'_    
_'You're no fun_ . _Grumpier than usual. You sure your name isn't Dapril?'_    
Attie sent a follow-up text.   
_'Coz it seems like you could use a D_ _'_    
Grinning, and feeling glad her little sister couldn't see her smile at that lousy joke, she texted back.   
_'You are gross. Go to bed. I'll text you tomorrow. Love you'  
'Fiiiine. I love you too. G'night!'_    
April held the phone in her hand, a small smile on her lips. Attie's silly joke had stirred a thought inside her. A face she had only seen that very evening for the first time refused to leave her mind.   
_'There's no way you are getting any sleep, what with his perfect teeth flashing in your head. And put the damn phone away. He's not going to call just hours after he left'_    
She wished he would. Maybe that would put a stop to the acrobatics her tummy and her heart were putting her through. 

April put away her book, grabbed her laptop and sat up straighter in bed. She opened the folder titled WIP and then the file named 'Piper'. It was the draft of her new novel, one she was having trouble with. All she knew at that point was that her protagonist was called Piper and was a brave, out and proud gay man, who falls for a handsome stranger so different from him. The stranger's face began taking shape in April's mind. Taking a deep breath, she tried to put her thoughts into words. She typed.   
_"Excuse me?"  
"Well, you are wandering out here all alone by yourself. I'm just trying to make sure you're not lost"   
The stranger smiled at Piper. It was a smile that told him more than the expensive suit and the last season shoes could have said. The stranger's eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, showing that stress had found familiar places to rest in his skin. He looked away, almost like he didn't want Piper to know he was amused. Not even his dark, bushy eyebrows could detract from the gentle beauty of those eyes. And when he finally did look up, his mouth quirked up in a bright grin. Piper stared in undisguised admiration at the honest expression, the perfect teeth and the dark head full of hair.   
"How nice of you", the stranger said, "I'm Li..."_    
April stopped typing.   
_‘Are you insane?’_ , she thought.   
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, itching to type an 'a', followed by an 'm'. She bit her lip, chastising herself again for being so taken with a man she barely knew. But hey, if there was one thing she knew about writing, it was that you took inspiration wherever you could find it.   
Hesitating, but not quite, she typed the next words.   
_"...Li Hong. Pleased to meet you"_   

* * *

At Drake's apartment, Liam was putting away the dishes after dinner. He heard Drake's voice coming from the drawing room.   
"What are you, a baby?"   
Wiping his hand against a dish towel, he joined his friends in the drawing room. Drake's attention was not on the TV but on Maxwell, who was sleepily hogging the couch. Young Mr. Beaumont didn't seem bothered as he smiled and said,   
"Hey, don't blame me. I'm always sleepy after a good meal"   
"This is all your fault, Liam", Drake said.   
Liam gave him a puzzled look, taking his place on the sofa chair.   
"How is it my fault?"   
Drake said,   
"You introduced me to... this"   
"He became your brother-in-law, not mine", Liam grinned.   
Maxwell hummed in content and lay his head against the back of the couch.   
"Stop moaning like a woman and get off my couch", Drake said.   
Liam was more than used to their resident grump. And he knew Maxwell couldn't be fazed by Drake's sourness. But it still seemed unfair to see poor Maxwell being treated like that just for slipping into a food coma.   
"You know, April has a roommate, Drake. She asked me about you", Liam said.   
His foodgasm forgotten, Maxwell sat up in the couch, giving his undivided attention to the conversation. Liam noticed the sudden stiffness in Drake's manner as he quickly turned his gaze towards the commercial on TV.   
"Ooooh. What's her name?", Maxwell teased.   
Liam told him,   
"Jenna. She seemed quite lovely"   
Drake said, changing the channel,   
"That's a dude in a dress"   
"Don't be an ass", Liam said.   
"Hey, I'm not transphobic or something. More power to her, whatever", Drake shrugged.   
Maxwell asked,   
"You don't like her because she's trans?"   
"That's not what I said"   
Liam exchanged a look with Maxwell, signalling they were to goad Drake together.   
He asked,   
"You find her unattractive then, do you?"   
Drake scoffed, saying,   
"She's a fricking model, for Christ's sake. Nothing about her is unattractive"   
Maxwell asked,   
"Then what's the problem?"   
They watched Drake fumble with the buttons on the TV remote, like he had suddenly forgotten how to operate it. Liam could barely keep himself from laughing, and he knew Maxwell was well on his way there.   
"Well?", Maxwell sounded like he was holding himself together.   
Drake put away the remote, whipping his hair away from his forehead. He still wouldn't look their way. He mumbled,   
"She comes on too strong"   
Maxwell faux-gasped. Liam made an indignant noise.   
"The nerve of womenfolk these days! How dare she come on to you?"   
"It's an assault on masculinity, I say!", Maxwell exclaimed, waving a fist.   
Drake threw the remote at Maxwell's head and a chew toy at Liam's. But that didn't stop them from laughing at him.   
Maxwell said, in between chuckles,   
"Are you seriously afraid of a hot model, Drake? Wow, man. I can't wait to tell Savannah"   
Drake turned to them, trying to make his point.   
"She always comes in guns blazing, all right? This other day, she and April came to the bar and they ordered tequila shots. She comes up to me, wearing this damned crop top and says she needs my chest to lick salt from"   
Maxwell whistled and Liam "Wow"d, both of them still laughing every other second. Drake threw them a disgusted look.   
"She puts me off my game, all right?", he frowned.   
"You have game?", Maxwell retorted.   
Maxwell didn't seem to mind being nearly kicked off the couch by Drake. Liam reined in his laughter long enough to reach forward and pull Maxwell up from the floor.   
Drake hissed,   
"And why are we talking about Jenna? She and I didn't exchange numbers. You and April did"   
That sobered Liam. He tried to play it off with a smile, but Maxwell said,   
"Oh yeah. Did you text her yet?"   
"It's too soon, Maxwell"   
"Okay. But I have this hilarious meme that you can send her. Wait. I'll show ya"   
As Maxwell ransacked the drawing room, searching for his phone, Liam heard Drake speak.   
"You sure couldn't stop smiling at her"   
Liam shrugged,   
"I like her"   
"Yeah, it was pretty clear to everyone with eyes that you both like each other. I'm just saying, April might not be your type"   
A knot of worry appeared out of nowhere in Liam's stomach. He tried to seem unaffected by Drake's assessment.   
"How so?", he asked.   
"You have seen her. She is..."   
Drake spread his hands apart. Liam raised an eyebrow at his friend, making him substitute the word he was originally going to use.   
"Weird. She's weird", Drake said, "She always comes in with a book. I have never even seen her with a guy. I actually used to think she was a lesbian. Until I saw the way she looked at you today. But I still wouldn't say she's your type though"   
Liam said,   
"So you're saying she's well-read and single, and hence not my type?"   
"You know what I mean", Drake waved a hand in the air, "She is... quirky. And you have a track record of falling for girls who end up using you. You're a fixer. You like to fix people. You see the good in everyone, like an idiot. And that has never ended well for you before"   
Maxwell yelled from the other end of the room, holding his phone up in the air,   
"Found it!"   
Liam turned to Drake, saying,   
"I am touched to see you taking an interest in my dating life. But with all due respect, I don't think April needs fixing. She's... nice. I quite like her"   
"You like everyone"   
"No. I like her especially. There was some definite chemistry there"   
Maxwell joined them by the couch. He added,   
"I thought so too. And the way she docked that guy, it was super cool. I gotta be honest with you, Liam... sometimes I zone out when you start talking about feminism. But that was seriously empowering to watch. Hashtag _WhoRunTheWorld_ "   
"Feminism isn't about hitting or hurting men. It's about..."   
Liam was interrupted by a bark, coming from the doorway to the rest of Drake's apartment. His dog, a 9-year old Golden Retriever, came bounding for him. Maxwell scratched the dog's back as he scrambled onto Liam's lap, putting his paws around his shoulders.   
"Look who woke up from his nap!", Maxwell smiled, "Good evening, Sir Arthur"   
Liam gave a kiss to Sir Arthur's head, giving him hearty scratches on the back.   
"Did you miss me? Did you? Who's a good boy?"   
Sir Arthur woofed merrily, as if to say, "Me, of course". He licked Liam's face with kisses until he had to set him down on the floor, grinning and wiping doggy drool from his neck.   
"Aww!", Maxwell pouted, "I wish I had a dog"   
Drake said,   
"You and the dog both would starve within a week. Speaking of, when are you jokers going to get your own place?"   
Liam said, scratching Sir Arthur under his snout,   
"We're still looking. If Maxwell hadn't listed his occupation as DJ/Dancer the last time, we could have gotten that place in Manhattan"   
Drake said,   
"You can't afford Manhattan"   
Liam replied,   
"I know. It was just a really good flat though. Nice view of the skyline, no restrictions on having pets, a Coffee Bean next door"   
Maxwell tried to lighten the mood.   
"I think we can still find something in Brooklyn"   
"That's the dream, buddy", Drake mocked him.   
Liam stopped giving tummy rubs to Sir Arthur for long enough to notice Drake observing them both.   
"Next time you see April", Drake pointed to Sir Arthur, "Take him along. She loves dogs. The last time she punched a man in my bar, it was for kicking away a stray mutt that had followed him inside"   
Liam could just see it. April's soft cheeks inflating so adorably right before she wound her fist into a punch. And then the low cursing, _"Shit"_. And her flustered expression on being caught punching men in bars.   
He grinned.   
"And you say she isn't my type"   
Maxwell showed him the meme on his phone.   
"Look! This is what you should send her", he said. 

 

Liam shook his head, grinning,   
"What would I do without you, Maxwell?"   
"Live a happy and fulfilling life"   
"Stop it, Drake"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me some feedback maybe? I would really appreciate it. Thanks!


	3. Hey Tomorrow

Normally, Drake wouldn’t have bothered making fancy breakfast for his two friends. But they had been let down after yet another apartment hunt. Since they were both sleeping the disappointment off, Drake supposed he could make something nice to cheer them up. He was in a pretty good mood… before Maxwell burst into the kitchen with his morning mofo energy.   
“Drake!”   
He sighed.   
“What?”   
“You’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you!”   
“Your pigeon buddy won’t come to the window anymore?”   
Maxwell said,   
“I saw Buckbeak just a while ago. But that’s not what I am talking about”   
Drake put away the broken eggshells, asking,   
“What  _are_  you talking about?”   
Maxwell said, sounding dystopian,   
“April is not on any social media”   
“So?”   
That appalled Maxwell. He exclaimed,   
“So it’s  _weird_  and  _unnatural!”_    
Drake said,   
“Hey. I’m not on any social media either”   
“Exactly my point!”   
He turned to give Maxwell a reproachful look, but the man was rambling.   
“I didn’t even know her last name until yesterday. But then I picked up Liam’s Kindle last night and I saw he was reading lesbian erotica. I was like, um… okay. Whatever rocks your boat. Then I saw the writer’s name - April Costas! That’s why Liam was reading erotica! So I did a little digging of my own. She’s not on  _any_  social media sites. Doesn’t that bother you?”   
Drake gently pushed him aside, reaching for powdered sugar. He said,   
“What bothers me is that you two spent your night snooping on a girl. I can understand Liam doing it, he likes her. But you are being you again”   
Maxwell grinned,   
“Sparkling and joyful?”   
“Nosy and annoying" 

Liam soon came into the kitchen, greeting them both with a "good morning”. He asked Drake,   
“Need any help with breakfast?”   
“No, I got it. You and the Daily Mail here can sit at the table”   
Maxwell received a sympathetic smile from Liam. He sat down next to him, not quite meeting Liam in the eye.   
“Why are you name-calling him this early in the morning?”, Liam asked Drake.   
He replied,   
“Why don’t you ask him?”   
“Maxwell?”   
Maxwell fidgeted with his fingers, replying,   
“Well, I… I googled April last night”   
“Okay?”   
“She’s not on any social media”   
“I didn’t know that”   
Maxwell asked,   
“You’re not mad at me?”   
Liam smiled,   
“Why would I be mad? You can google whoever you want”   
Drake set two plates before them on the table, saying,   
“If you two ladies are done having a heart to heart, eat up”   
The plates were piled with golden French toast, with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. Maxwell’s face lit up at the sight of the food.   
“Yum!”, he said.   
Liam smiled at that reaction and turned to Drake,   
“Thank you, Drake. This is rather nice of you”   
“Don’t get used to it”, Drake smiled.   
Liam cut a piece of toast for himself. His fork and knife were met with some resistance.   
 _‘Strange’  
_ He had to apply a little pressure to slice the supposedly soft and fluffy toast. Before putting the morsel in his mouth, he glanced at Maxwell. Maxwell gave him a pained look, his jaws moving around the food in his mouth, like giant cogs on an industrial machine. Liam threw caution to the wind and put the piece of French toast in his own mouth.   
It was… chewy and bland. But he didn’t complain. Next to him, Maxwell whispered,   
“My teeth are starting to hurt”   
 _“Sshh”_  
Sadly for them, they hadn’t noticed Drake glaring at them from next to the kitchen stove. He scowled.   
“What? My food isn’t fancy enough for you two freeloaders?”   
They immediately disagreed. Liam said,   
“No, no. It’s lovely”   
Maxwell nodded,   
“Yeah. Really… edible”   
Drake watched him carefully for a moment before turning back to the stove again. Maxwell whispered,   
“Where’s Sir Arthur? He must be hungry”   
Liam whispered back,   
“You’re not feeding my dog this. Eat”   
Drake returned to the table, with French toast piled high in two more plates. Maxwell and Liam gave him their best grateful smiles. 

* * *

 

April dabbed at her mouth with a paper napkin, having just made clean work of her empanadas. Her agent sat across from her in the red chair, matching the theme of the deli. She ignored their piercingly observant gaze and looked around for a waiter.   
 _'Maybe I can get those little pita wraps’  
_ Joel said, their voice crisp as cold water,   
“You’re stress-eating again”   
April made a face.   
“I’m not!”, she said.   
“Come on, April. Is it really going to be that difficult for you to maintain a social media presence? All writers have to do that”   
“I know they do. I'm just not…”   
They said,   
“Comfortable putting my life details out there for everyone to see - heard that before. I’m not asking you to post nudes. Just… maybe one tweet, one pic, one status update every other day”   
“But Joel…”   
“Listen”, they leaned forward, the cuffs of their coat sleeves revealing slender wrists, “When I take  _Porcelain Palace_  to my contacts in Hollywood, they are going to be like,  _"April who?”_. You are virtually non-existent. And your silly website where you review people’s fanfiction doesn’t count"   
April leaned back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest. Joel went on, despite the look on her face.   
“This business is as much about image as it is about storytelling. I told you that when you hired me”   
They gave April a nurturing smile.   
“I just don’t want your work to be sidetracked in Hollywood.  _Porcelain Palace_  deserves to be made into a movie. We  _need_  that movie in our time. And I am not going to stop until that happens. Are you?”   
She mumbled,   
“No”   
“We agree then. You will sign up on the sites I just emailed you, and start posting”   
 _“Urgh”  
_ “Don’t be dramatic. And stop stuffing your face. You’re going to look like a  _rikishi_  soon if you keep at this”   
“I eat what I want. And I already got my 10k footsteps in today, all right?”   
“Good”, Joel placed some dollar bills on the table and got up, buttoning their coat jacket, “I’ll see you in exactly one week. Call me if you need me”   
“Yeah. Thanks”   
“Anything for my favourite person”   
Joel leaned over and planted a kiss on the top of her head. April smirked.   
“Want to tell Shirin you called me that?”   
They gave her a stunning grin, walking away,   
“That’s the beauty of being in a mature poly relationship. I don’t have to worry about jealousy. Good day, April”   
She raised her hand in half a wave, sighing, and dropping it the moment Joel was out of sight.

Her social skills had been a big joke since kindergarten. Her mistrust of people in general, coupled with a strong sense of privacy, kept her shielded from the allure of “social sharing”. But Joel was trying to create an image for her, and they knew what they were talking about. Problem was - it made April feel hungry again.   
Her phone buzzed. She saw who the text was from and smiled in surprise.   
 _'Hello, April! Not sure if you remember, but you saved me from a horrendous date at the Whiskey Duck? It’s Hana’  
_ April quickly texted back.   
 _'Of course I remember. It’s great to hear from you! How have you been?’_  
She sat in the small deli during lunch hours, typing away letters and emojis to a welcome distraction. 

* * *

 

Drake was losing to Maxwell in that stupid kart game when his phone buzzed. He ignored it, but it only buzzed again.   
“Pause”, he said.   
Maxwell grinned,   
“Nuh-uh. I’m winning”   
Drake thought he had no option but to end the race. He swore as Maxwell beat him by a hair’s breadth. Ignoring his friend’s victory break-dance, he checked his phone.   
 _'What the fuck?’  
_ He was part of some chat called Whiskey Ducks. The first text had been from a number he didn’t know.   
 _'Hi guys, it’s Hana! I just thought this would be a fun and convenient way for me to talk to you all at once_  :D _’  
_ The next text was from another unfamiliar number.   
 _'Hello. April here._  :) _’_    
Drake was still making sense of the thing when a third text was sent in the group. This number he did recognise.   
 _'Yoohoo! Its so great to be able to talk to my friends together! Viva la technology!_ ^_^ _’  
_ The text was followed by a gif of the Minions hugging and saying “Buddies”.    
“Maxwell!”   
He nearly jumped on hearing his name.   
“What?”   
Drake frowned, showing him the phone screen,   
“What the hell am I doing in a group text?”   
Maxwell defended himself,   
“Hana wanted me to add you and Liam”   
“IN A GROUP TEX…”   
The door to Drake’s apartment swung open and Liam came in. He closed the door behind him, giving the guys a nod.   
“Hey”, he said.   
Maxwell quickly turned his attention to Liam. He asked,   
“How did it go?”   
“It is affordable, if you don’t mind living with rats”   
“Wait. Cute rats or the creepy ones?”   
Liam sighed,   
“Maxwell”   
He deposited himself on the couch between Drake and Maxwell, much to the latter’s relief. Drake was complaining within seconds of Liam’s butt hitting the couch.   
“Look what your precious buddy did. He added us to a group text”   
“Keep your calm…”   
“What do you mean 'keep your calm’? He didn’t even ask us!”   
Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering,   
“I wasn’t talking to you”   
Maxwell took that as encouragement to speak up. He said,   
“There’s no harm done. Hana just wanted to invite all of us to Coney Island”   
Drake said,   
“I don’t want to go to stupid Coney Island! And how did you get Hana’s number anyway?”   
Maxwell revealed with a happy smile,   
“I added her on pinterest. She has the coolest boards. Especially her food board. Oh my god”   
Liam pulled out his phone from the pocket of his jeans, rubbing his sore temples. The apartment hunt and the current state of his job were enough to fill his head with worry. Drake and Maxwell’s constant bickering was just the cherry on top of a steaming pile of crap.   
“You always do this!”   
“And you always give me hell about it!”   
They fought, one on each side of Liam. He could feel a headache coming on. But his entire facial expression transformed on seeing who else was in the group chat.   
Hana said,   
 _'I wanted to invite you all to Coney Island with me. As a thank you for that evening. It will be super fun, I promise!’  
_ **April**  replied,   
 _'You don’t have to thank us’  
_ _'But I really want to! And it’s not like I have any friends in New York to enjoy Coney Island with :3 ’  
_ April is typing…   
 _'When do you want to go?’  
_ Liam smiled. April was such a knight in shining armour.   
 _'How about tomorrow?’_ , Hana suggested.   
Maxwell is typing…   
 _'Tomorrow’s good for meee! I have nothing to do tomorrow’  
_ Liam was surprised to see -   
Drake is typing…   
 _'Like everyday’  
_ Maxwell replied with a sad puppy face gif.   
April is typing…   
 _'Is it okay if I bring my friend Jenna along?’  
_ _'Sure! The more, the merrier’,_ Hana said.   
Reading Jenna’s name, both Liam and Maxwell turned to look at Drake. He tried to seem nonchalant,   
“What?”   
Liam shrugged.   
“Just wondering if you can make it tomorrow. You have a thriving business to attend to, you know. Unlike me and Maxwell, who have nothing to do everyday”   
“Yeah!”, Maxwell grinned.   
Drake glared at Liam, saying,   
“Why do you always take his side?  _I’m_  your best friend!”   
Maxwell objected to that.   
“Hey! We are all best friends!”   
Their phones buzzed again. Hana asked,   
 _'So guys? Does tomorrow afternoon work for you?’  
_ Maxwell replied with an enthusiastic yes. Drake replied,   
 _'Ok’  
_ Liam had his eyes on April’s name in the group text as he typed,   
 _'Can’t wait’_


	4. XO

Maxwell exclaimed from the bedroom,   
“Let’s get this show on the road! Woo!”   
Drake yelled back from the drawing room.   
“You said that twenty minutes ago and you’re still not ready!”   
Liam listened to the exchange from the couch, his hands on both sides of Sir Arthur’s snout. He looked into his buddy’s literal puppy-dog eyes, smiling.   
“You be good to Ned while I’m gone, okay? I know you will be on your best behaviour. You’re such a good boy”   
Sir Arthur had his eyes halfway closed, and a huge grin on his face, as Liam gave him scratches. His tail wagged from side to side as he received scratches on his back and the sides of his belly. When Liam stopped petting him, the Golden Retriever gave him a content look, his tongue lolling out.   
“Shake on it. Come on”, Liam said.   
Sir Arthur put his paw in Liam’s hand and received more compliments about being the best boy in the world. Drake said,   
“Finally! Can we… what are you wearing?”   
Liam let go of Sir Arthur’s paw and turned to his friends. Drake was staring at Maxwell and his outfit. The latter struck a pose for them.   
“Don’t you wish your best friend was hip like me?”, Maxwell asked.   
“You’re wearing a tank top”, Drake observed.   
Maxwell seemed too pleased with his outfit to understand the critical tone. He grinned, looking down at his clothes.   
“I look cool, right? I got it from…”   
“You look like a pim…”   
Liam interrupted Drake before he could finish saying ‘pimp’.   
“You do look great, Maxwell. It’s perfect for a day of outing”, Liam said.   
“Aw, thanks man”   
Drake snorted, mumbling,   
“Day of outing”   
Liam gave him a not-so-gentle clap on the back and herded them towards the door. He took Sir Arthur’s leash.   
“Come on. We don’t want to be late. It would be rude to show up after the ladies do”   
They stood outside Drake’s door while he locked it. Drake said,   
“I always thought you would outgrow the posh English boy thing after college”   
“It’s not a posh English boy thing”, Maxwell said, “It’s a gentleman thing”   
He gave Liam an animated bow, saying,   
“Sir Liam”   
Liam returned it with an equally cheesy bow, saying,   
“Lord Beaumont”   
“I get to be a lord? Cool!”   
Drake muttered,   
“There better be alcohol on Coney Island” 

When the boys reached their rendezvous point on Coney Island, they found a familiar figure waving and smiling at them. Hana, dressed so differently from what they had seen her in before, nearly galloped to meet them. She had a thoroughly infectious grin on her face.   
“Hi, guys! You’re early!”   
Liam noticed how her smile reached her eyes, making her face a welcome expression of unadulterated joy. He had been told that a genuine smile could always be distinguished from a fake one. All you had to do was look at the eyes.   
“I hope you don’t mind waiting a while for April”, she said, “She will be here soon”   
Hana had an interesting accent, definitely influenced by Mandarin. If Liam had to guess which province, he would have said…   
“There she is!”, Hana called, waving an arm in the air, “April! Over here”   
 _‘At last’_    
Battling an unexpected flutter in his stomach, reminiscent of his teen years, Liam turned around to see April. Where he had expected her to show up in yet another jeans and rugged jacket, she was actually wearing a romper.   
A light, floral, making-her-look-absolutely-adorable romper.   
Her hair was tied up and he could see those lovely cheekbones just beckoning to his lips. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that he was the only one she was looking at, but it did. April took her admiring gaze away and smiled at Hana.   
From next to him, Maxwell took off his sunglasses, looking awestruck. He said, his voice solemn,   
“Holy crap. She looks like Beyonce”   
“Beyonce? No, she doesn’t”   
Liam turned to them and saw. Both Drake and Maxwell were staring at Jenna, who was cat-walking by April’s side. Now that he too was looking at Jenna, she did look like Beyonce. A lot like Beyonce.   
“I’m sorry if we’re late. Actually…”, April said, coming to them.   
Jenna put up a hand, gaining an indulgent smile from her roommate.   
“Perfection takes time. Don’t apologise for me, April”   
April put an arm around Jenna’s shoulders. She smiled,   
“Hana, this is Jenna, my best friend and roommate. Jenna, this is my new friend Hana Lee”   
Hana shook hands with her, looking a little starstruck herself.   
“So nice to meet you”   
“Pleasure. Thank you for inviting us”   
“And Jen, this is Maxwell”   
He wiped his hand on his jeans before holding it out to her. Jenna took it with a grin.   
“You’re the one who makes her laugh on the group texts”, she winked, “I like you”   
He said,   
“I like me too. I-I mean, I like you too!”   
April sneaked a glance at Liam before saying,   
“And you remember Liam and Drake, of course”   
“How could I forget this handsome son of a…”   
“Jenna”, April’s tone was full of warning.   
Liam grinned as she hugged him, and he didn’t dare risk a glance at Drake. Jenna withdrew, looking up at him with affection.   
“I still owe you a chicken dinner”   
“I remember”, he smiled.   
He then watched her turn to Drake. Every muscle in his friend’s body seemed to tense up, like he was preparing for battle. Jenna eyed him up and down in appreciation, despite of being surrounded by four other people. Drake met her gaze defiantly. She said,   
“Drake”   
“Jenna”, he replied.   
She said, taking a step closer to him,   
“How’s the di…  _Duck_  doing lately? Getting any… business?”   
Maxwell shared a horrified look with Liam, who was trying his best not to laugh aloud. Jenna’s intonation on the word “duck” wasn’t lost on the group, nor was her euphemism.   
Drake said, his Adam’s apple moving once like it did when he was nervous,   
“It’s getting plenty of business, thank you”   
“Hmm. No surprises there”   
April’s voice cut through the thick sexual tension. She said,   
“So Hana! What are we doing today?”   
Hana looked around at her surroundings as if pulled out of a daydream. She turned away from Jenna and Drake’s standoff to say,   
“I didn’t actually want to make a tight schedule. I just thought we could do things by ear, have some fun. But I definitely want to take you guys to my family’s restaurant!”   
“Nice”, Maxwell said, at the mention of food.   
“So where do we go first?”, April asked.   
Hana gave a huge smile, saying,   
“I have never been to the arcade here. So I thought maybe we could check that out”   
“Yes!”, Maxwell said, “Monster Mash, here I come! Wait. Do they have Monster Mash?”   
Drake reminded him,   
“She doesn’t know”   
“Oh”   
Liam said to Hana,   
“Lead the way”

As if destined to be, they were all walking to the arcade in pairs. Hana and Drake were at the front of the pack. She was apologizing for the commotion at his bar on that fateful night. Jenna, by design (Liam was sure), was hanging back with Maxwell.   
“Has anyone ever told you”, Maxwell said to her, “You look like Beyonce?”   
“Thank you! That’s why we were almost late. But April doesn’t understand the art of making an entrance”, Jenna asked him, “Is it working though? I was going for Queen Bey’s look in  _XO._  You seen that video?”   
 _“Have I?!”_    
Liam smiled, as he and April walked side by side. He kept his hands in his pockets. When he turned to her, she was already looking at him. His smile grew wider.   
“Hi”   
“Hi”, she grinned.   
The sun was almost setting, making her hair look lighter than it was. The soft rich colour of her hair reminded him of chocolate. April said,   
“FYI, this isn’t the first date I had envisioned for us”   
“Yeah? What did you have in mind?”   
“I’ll tell you if you promise not to laugh”   
“On my honour”   
She said,   
“I was actually going to bring you to Coney Island, but just the two of us”   
 _‘Okay, that is hilarious and cute. How am I not supposed to laugh?’_    
He suppressed a smile, watching her face.   
“You’re saying you would have taken me right here?”   
“Yeah. Because you said you’re only _visiting_ New York, so I…”, she said, then laughed, “Wait! That’s not what I…! Okay, that was a good one”   
Liam had a “Yay” moment inside his head, having made her laugh. He also wanted to tell her he had read her book, but they had already entered the arcade. And Maxwell was ooh-ing and aah-ing at everything around. Jenna gestured to a stall.   
“Is that a photo booth? I love that retro shit”, she said.   
“We should take a picture together!”, Hana said, “If you all don’t mind”   
Jenna agreed,   
“Yeah! If we’re gonna do it, we better do it while everybody’s still presentable. ‘Cause  _someone_  is sure to drag all our asses to the roller coaster and the giant wheel”   
April exclaimed,   
“What’s the point of coming to Coney Island if you’re not going to enjoy the rides?”   
“Not everybody likes to almost die and call it fun”, Jenna said, “Are we doing the photo now or not?”   
“Let’s go. I’m ready!”, Maxwell led the way.   
Hana was about to pay the booth operator when April stopped her.   
“No, you invited us. The least we can do is not freeload on you”, April said.   
“Hold up”, Jenna said, “Which one of us has a job?”   
Maxwell said,   
“I don’t have one yet. I’m trying to make it here as a dancer/DJ”   
April said,   
“Okay, maybe I don’t have a 9 to 5 job but I can certainly afford a…”   
“No, you can’t”, Jenna turned to Liam, “Liam, honey, what do you do for a living?”   
“I’m actually in between jobs at the moment. But truly, it’s no…”   
“Nuh-uh. Hana?”   
Hana said,   
“Oh, I… I don’t really have a job. I’m visiting my aunt and uncle here”   
Jenna said,   
“And  _my_  modeling gig doesn’t fork in the big bucks yet. So that leaves…”   
All eyes turned to Drake. Jenna smiled,   
“Somebody who owns a successful business”   
Drake paid up without any hesitation. He said to Jenna, as he put his wallet back in,   
“If you thought making me pay like 5 bucks would get a rise out of me, you don’t know me at all”   
She replied, batting her lashes,   
“I wouldn’t stop at just getting a rise out of you, Walker. I would need other things too…  _coming_  from you”   
Before their cat and mouse chase could permeate the air again, April pulled a laughing Jenna inside the photo booth. Hana followed them, while Liam held a stunned Drake by the shoulders.   
Maxwell encouraged him.   
“You’re stronger than this, Drake. You can do it!”   
Drake shook his head, trying to form sentences,   
“You saw what she… she just…”   
He sighed, admitting it,   
“She flusters me. Me! How am I supposed to ask her out when she’s laying it on  _that_  thick?”   
Liam turned him around to the booth, saying,   
“Take a deep breath. It will all be okay. Just give it some time. You will ask her today, I’m sure”   
Shoulders sagging, Drake made his way into the booth. Liam followed Maxwell into it.

“There’s no way we’re all going to fit in here”, April said.   
Hana accidentally elbowed someone in the ribs and Maxwell mewled in pain.   
“I’m so sorry, Maxwell! I didn’t mean to!”   
“You’re standing on my feet, April”   
“I’ll just drop out”   
“No, no. We can try to…”   
Shoulders bumped and feet were stomped on in the tiny space of the photo booth. The chair in there fell to the floor. Liam walked out and Drake followed. April could be heard saying,   
“All right. Let’s just step out”   
Jenna was the last one to come out of the booth. She took a deep breath and said,   
“I can’t believe I’m quoting April, but we need strategy”   
Hana suggested,   
“How about the boys stand at the back and we will stand in the front?”   
“Like a prom photo?”   
“What’s a prom?”, Hana asked.   
Maxwell said,   
“Yeah, we could stand there prom style. A prom, Hana, is a dance event in…”   
While Maxwell explained to Hana what a prom was, Jenna said,   
“There’s no way we can all stand in there together! Have you not seen Liam’s shoulders?”   
Liam self-consciously adjusted his posture to make his shoulders look less broad. He glanced at April, who was looking away from him on purpose. What he hadn’t expected to see was Drake’s grim expression of jealousy.   
 _‘Oh boy’_    
Standing next to him, Drake puffed out his chest and stood with his shoulders stretched wide. Liam wouldn't have said anything if it weren't for the fact that his friend was looking ridiculous.   
He whispered to him,   
“What are you doing?”   
“Nothing”, came the curt reply.   
“You look like you’re trying to intimidate a bear. Act normal”   
Jenna said,   
“One of us will have to sit in the chair, obviously. The rest of us can stand. We’ll like, lean forward to get in the frame. Sound good? Okay, follow. And no bunny ears!”   
They filed into the booth again. Jenna made Liam sit on the chair. But it was still too cramped inside. She said,   
“April, you’re hogging space. Go sit with Liam”   
He was grateful to be looking ahead, because there was a big grin on his face now, having realized Jenna’s plan. April sounded timid behind him.   
“Jenna, it’s one chair”   
“So what? Sit on his lap. Liam, you can let her sit on your lap, can’t you?”   
He turned his neck to look at them,   
“Yeah. No problem”   
April said, giving a little laugh,   
“Liam, no offence but I weigh almost 200 pounds. I would  _crush_  you”   
“You underestimate me”, he grinned.   
Jenna gave April a push from behind, saying,   
“Quit the modest act and go sit on the man’s lap. We know you two are gonna be doing the nasty like three weeks from now”   
“Jenna!”   
April gave a withering glare to her friend before taking a step towards Liam. Maxwell and Hana made conversation to chip away at the awkwardness. April asked Liam one last time,   
“Are you sure? I really don’t want to hurt you”   
He smiled,   
 _“No offence_ , April, but I could easily bench press two of you. Don’t worry about me”   
He tried to look friendly and welcoming as she gingerly deposited herself on his lap. She sat up straight, and he could tell she was trying to keep her weight off him as much as possible.   
Maxwell said,   
“But now you’re hiding Liam, April. He won’t be in the frame”   
Jenna exhaled a loud huff and stepped to the task.   
“I have to do everything. Here”, she turned April to her side and put her arms around Liam’s neck, “Now don’t move. Somebody push that damn button”   
Maxwell said,   
“Hana, let’s do Charlie’s Angels!”   
“Is that a painting?”   
As much as Liam didn’t mind the closeness, he felt guilty that Jenna had practically forced April into that position. April’s arms around his neck were as welcome as garlands of flowers, with her elbow slightly brushing against his chest. He could see her face like the Madonna’s when he looked up at her.   
“I hope you’re not uncomfortable…”, he began.   
April said too quickly,   
“No, not at all! It’s just…”   
His heart did a little flip inside as she looked down and smiled, pulling her thighs closer together. She said, sounding a bit sheepish,   
“It’s just that you’re even more handsome up close”   
 _Click!_    
Someone gasped. The camera had taken the first picture. Liam realized how he and April must have been photographed – looking deep into each other’s eyes and smiling. He turned to the camera as she did and the flash went off again. For the third and final picture, they both smiled at the camera. Liam knew he was smiling wider and cheesier, but he didn’t care.   
 _‘She thinks I’m handsome’_

When the booth operator handed them the strip of photos, everyone’s attention was on Drake’s face in the pictures. In the first one, he looked surprised, with eyes wide and mouth agape. By the third one, he just looked embarrassed. Next to him, Jenna looked picture perfect. Liam was hoping that no one would notice the tiny glimpse of her forearm next to Drake’s hips, and her hand disappearing behind him. The wicked smirk on her face bloomed into a complete smile by the third photo. Maxwell posed by Hana’s side with a finger gun, while Hana did her best to smile at the camera. She and Maxwell seemed to have found some medium by the third photo when they posed with peace signs and big smiles.   
“We need five more copies of these!”, Maxwell said to the booth operator, then to the others, “We are a pretty photogenic bunch, aren’t we, gang?”   
Liam only had eyes for one person in the pictures. The one who was smiling down at him like fate.   
“Can we go play Monster Mash now?”, Maxwell asked. 


End file.
